Washington (CNN) - Sarah Palin's team is fighting back against some Democratic claims that the former Alaska governor is encouraging threats of violence against members of Congress who voted in favor of health care reform.

Democratic officials and liberal Web sites are upset that Palin used an image of crosshairs in a Facebook post this week listing 20 vulnerable Democrats who voted for the legislation. She plans to target them this election year with money from her political action committee.

One House member mentioned the Facebook posting during a Wednesday meeting on safety concerns, a Democratic source told CNN's Dana Bash. Mention of the map brought audible groans to the room, the source said.

"Republican leaders are themselves engaging in actions and rhetoric that previously would have been limited to fringe elements of the Republican Party," Kaine said. "Sarah Palin has invoked health care 'death panels' and has now placed gun sights on 20 Members of Congress who supported reform."

An adviser to Palin responded by pointing to several instances in which the former Alaska governor has urged supporters to focus their energies on civil debate and action at the ballot box - not extremist activities.

"We are now the keepers of an honorable tradition of conservative values and good works," Palin said at the national Tea Party Convention in Nashville last month. "We must never forget that it is a sacred trust to carry these ideas forward. It demands civility and it requires decent, constructive, issue-oriented debate."

The adviser also noted that Palin spoke out last year after the murder of abortion provider George Tiller in Kansas, writing on her PAC Web site that "violence is never an answer in advancing the pro-life message."

"Its good that she finally agrees with the Democrats on something," the adviser told CNN. "[House Majority Whip] Jim Clyburn said that silence equals consent, and in this matter she agrees, which is why she has been vocal about condemning violence."

"I have seen the rhetoric of targeted districts as long as I've been in politics, please," McCain said. "Any threat of violence is terrible but to say there that there is a targeted district or that we reload or go back into the fight again, please, those are fine, they are used all the time."

soundoff(266 Responses)

Why are grown men so scared of this woman. I know they are democants but WOW even for them it is sad.

March 25, 2010 10:32 am at 10:32 am |

Kraig Rasool

Another brick in the wall of despair for this woman....How many
more times do we as intelligent people have to witness her foolishess, her disregard for those who have stepped before her and
her abitlity to remain in the pot of stupor...Her own people question her
antics and in the watering holes they all feature talk of the nonsense
she portrays. She has no power, so be not worried of the woman
with the small mind and the sheep that follow her down the road..

March 25, 2010 10:32 am at 10:32 am |

kapechi

These people will whine about ANYTHING. I'm surprised they don't crybaby about the fact she included a circle, which could be used to represent a "target" in the crosshairs. The woman is an avid hunter, and she's all about hunting Democrats to make them lose their elections in November. I say it is totally appropriate to use a target with crosshairs from her perspective. Don't these people have anything better to do with their time?

March 25, 2010 10:32 am at 10:32 am |

billy

Palin is inciting violence, pure and simple.

March 25, 2010 10:32 am at 10:32 am |

Lynn

classless, clueless Sarah at it again!

March 25, 2010 10:33 am at 10:33 am |

KAB

I strongly think the Dems are being overly dramatic. Perhaps it is a guilty conscious because they voted for a bill the American people did not want. The Dems and the MSM is spending enormous amounts of time on "supposed" racial slurs that no one has yet to hear. I believe Congressman Stupack was being harrassed by the other side when he was going to so-called vote no on the health care bill but these harrassments were not reported by the press. Why is that?
I'm sorry, but being called a piece of --, does not mean violence is going to rain down on you. Do the Dems actually think everyone is going to like them now? Wow, what egos.

What about her "Don't retreat, reload" reference? Anything for a soundbite and to get back in headlines, anything!!! This lady is a train wreck.

March 25, 2010 10:33 am at 10:33 am |

AJAX

Sarah Palin should be ashamed of inciting domestic violence and threats.

March 25, 2010 10:33 am at 10:33 am |

Norman Cador

McCain is a joke.He should have charge file against him for picking the Nut bag Palin as his VP.He knew this women was unqualify for this job.I can see the connection he acts like a 6 year old and she like a 3 year old,there is the fit.

March 25, 2010 10:33 am at 10:33 am |

Carol

Ben Franklin & George Washington & Abe Lincoln would be sooo proud!

March 25, 2010 10:33 am at 10:33 am |

Katiedid

It is sickening that anyone would support violence against someone for any reason. This 'woman' (and I use the term loosely) should be put in jail, if anyone of those people are hurt or killed, as a co-conspirator.

March 25, 2010 10:33 am at 10:33 am |

Jake

This is just a poor job on the part of Palin's staff.

March 25, 2010 10:34 am at 10:34 am |

Gary

I think the best thing Palin can do is keep quiet! As a dual national myself between countries, I am aware that other nations have quietly made plans on how to politely refuse her visits and entry into their country if (Heaven forbid!) the dim little Twit ever gets elected to public office!

March 25, 2010 10:34 am at 10:34 am |

Ann Marie

Yes, Sarah, you and all of your other Republican cronies is stirring up the violance that is going on right now!! Your actions and all of your Republican cronies, speak loud and clear!! You & John McCain did it in the election and you are now doing it again!! You are just a ding bat of a women, that can't see beyond your nose! Get over it! Because health care reform is a law now! And most Americans that have a brain, realizes that we need health care reform in this country. Thanks to our Democratic friends, they realize it too.
Boo Hoo......Get over it!!

March 25, 2010 10:34 am at 10:34 am |

sam, LITTLETON.CO

Palin is the Devil in a skirt! She is spewing hatred and violence and is a terrorist! She should be in jail! with the rest of the terrorists

March 25, 2010 10:34 am at 10:34 am |

MIguel

This media, these liberal people, they just like to cry, complain, and just I can believe how the United states has these kind of citizens, the political correctness is getting to the point that people need to go to take break. Palin did not do anything wrong, just lefty people are just cry babies

March 25, 2010 10:34 am at 10:34 am |

Laurie

Sarah incite, incite, incite. And if something happens to one of these people or their loved ones, what are John McCain and Sarah going to say. For God's sake, all of these rhetoric and all of theses threat over a health care bill that contains such radical ideas as 26 year olds staying on their parent's health insurance and letting children get health insurance without consideration of pre existing conditions. She has her rifle sight targeted at my Congressman in the State of North Dakota. I am extremely proud of Earl Pomeroy for voting yes and I hope she does not set foot or open her mouth about our state again. And, as for John McCain, I do think that he needs to pick up his toys and go back to Arizona for good. He is a disgrace to our political system, along with that money grubbing woman who was his running mate.

March 25, 2010 10:35 am at 10:35 am |

Mitch Goulet

Palin needs to go to that country that she can see from her front door and stay there. Thanks a lot for nothing Mccain.

Mitch

March 25, 2010 10:36 am at 10:36 am |

Dennis C

I have never in my life, seen so many Americans passionate about politics. I guess when your end goal is to become a Democratic Socialist nation, and people start to see that, this is what you get. I am certain they are expecting all this to blow over. However, when the majority of Americans are against the bill as is – when the process you use to your ends is by definition, unconstitutional, and you add to that fire total unemployment exceeding 20% in many areas, and a deficit that Obama and other politicians treat like monopoly money...what do you expect?

If we really have, the brightest economists, and the best of the best – then THIS is an engineered outcome, and THAT, is not democracy.

March 25, 2010 10:36 am at 10:36 am |

Bill

This is the new face of the GOP. They will stop at nothing to try to prove their point.

March 25, 2010 10:36 am at 10:36 am |

Mavis Malone

You've got to be kidding! What has this woman been smoking? She is inciting a group of extremists! We can't encourage or condone this kind of retoric! The sane republicans, if there are any left, must step up to the plate and reject this form of protest.

You may find a 'Marinus van der Lubbe' in there somewhere; but, not likely.

Only thing you leftists have to fear is when we elect an implacable enemy in the name of a Congress that is going to systematically tear down the welfare house you've built.

You can thank us later. When you grow up.

March 25, 2010 10:36 am at 10:36 am |

shucks

Palin and her looney husband would like nothing more than a civil war. They, I'm sure would say it was a religious war, and God told them to kill other Americans. These people are not wrapped too tight to begind with, and many of their followers are the same. This insighting violence is the new way of the right wing christian fanatics in this country. Who needs to worry about terrorists when we have people like this living among us. I am more scared of these people than any foreign terrorists out their. These people can cause more civil damage than they realize by inciting the behaviors we have seen in the last couple days against democrats that voted for the bill. America, I hope you are watching?